


And on This Day I love You So

by nobleyes



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 16:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3074390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobleyes/pseuds/nobleyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After agreeing to not get each other anything extravagant, Irene surprises Janine with not one, but eight heartfelt gifts on Christmas Day before getting the surprise of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And on This Day I love You So

**Author's Note:**

  * For [triforcelegends8](https://archiveofourown.org/users/triforcelegends8/gifts).



> This is for [otakuloki](http://otakuloki.tumblr.com) for the Sherlock Rare Pair Exchange. I hope you enjoy it! Unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are mine.

Irene wakes slowly and comfortably. Muted light filters through the window and though there is a chill in the air, she is surrounded by the warm limbs of her girlfriend. Smiling to herself, Irene rolls to face Janine and places a gentle kiss on her forehead. 

“Merry Christmas, darling,” she whispers.

Janine mumbles sleepily but leans into her touch. Irene finds her absurdly beautiful with her messy hair and flushed cheeks. The absolutely perfect thing to wake up to.

“What time is it?” Janine asks before burying her face in Irene’s neck.

“Earlier than you’d like,” Irene admits.

Normally she would have no problem pulling the covers over their heads and sleeping the morning away. Not today, though. Today she has very important plans that have involved months of preparation. Irene gently pulls Janine’s face back and smiles at her.

“There’s a surprise for you if you get up.”

Janine goes from half-asleep to wide awake in record time. 

“What? Irene!” 

Irene feigns innocence as she slips out of bed. “Yes?”

Janine is quick to jump up behind her and follows her into the bathroom. 

“We said no big gifts!” She crosses her arms and dons what she believes to be her most intimidating face. Irene really rather fancies the look.

The dominatrix turns to Janine with a smirk. “Who said anything about big gifts? I mentioned a surprise for you, that’s all.” She begins brushing her teeth, watching her girlfriend’s reflection in the mirror with amusement. 

Janine’s lips twitch as she tries and fails to hide a smile. “Kitchen, yeah?” 

Irene nods.

“All right, then. Move over.”

They brush their teeth in silence, giving each other foamy smiles before rinsing and heading into the kitchen. Irene stays behind Janine, anticipation hammering her heart in her chest. The gift is right where she left it the night before, on the table. It’s wrapped in forest green paper with a simple gold ribbon tied around it. Janine gives her a shy glance over her shoulder.

“What is it?”

Irene rolls her eyes. “You’re a matter of seconds from finding out on your own.”

Janine sighs and picks the gift up, turning it several times in her hands. Her eyes are wide with curiosity and Irene feels flooded with affection for the woman. She hopes more than anything that Janine will enjoy everything she has planned for the day. Janine takes a deep breath before finally ripping the paper open. 

The rectangular box is revealed. It’s Janine’s absolute favorite wine. Some cheap little red that warms the cockles of her girlfriend’s heart. Irene had introduced several more expensive wines over their time together but Janine had always gone right back to this one.

“It’s been ages!” Janine laughs, holding the box against her chest. 

“Yes well,” Irene sniffs. “I thought if you went long enough without it, you’d come to your senses and realize there are much better things in the world.” 

“Better things maybe. Not wine.” 

Irene shakes her head with a fond smile. “What ever am I going to do with you?”

“Indulge my inexpensive tastes,” Janine jokes. “Thank you, Irene.”

“Of course, darling. Merry Christmas.” She holds her arms open with an expectant look.

“Merry Christmas,” Janine replies, sinking into the hug. “Are you hungry?”

Irene is, a little bit. But there’s no time for food yet. The wine was only the beginning and she has an entire list of things to go through before they settle in for breakfast. She knows Janine doesn’t particularly enjoy eating so soon after waking anyway.

“Not quite yet.” She brushes Janine’s hair from her face and gives her a chaste kiss. “I’ll put the kettle on, though. How about lighting a fire for us?”

Janine nods and leans in for another, sweeter kiss. Her entire face lights up with a smile as she pulls away and Irene thinks she may have died and gone to heaven. With her girlfriend out of the room, she starts on the tea and counts down the seconds until the inevitable cry of surprise. 

“Irene!” 

The dominatrix grins to herself before making her way to the sitting room. 

Janine is standing in front of the unlit fire, staring at yet another wrapped present. When she sees Irene enter the room, she narrows her eyes at her ever so slightly. Her arms are already crossed and Irene delights in the childlike irritation. 

“Is this what I think it is?” Janine asks.

“That depends on what you think it is.”

“Another gift, that’s what.”

Irene simply shrugs and takes a seat on the couch, right next to the gift. She initially considered spreading them out and making them harder to find so it could last all day. She quickly realized that she herself couldn’t wait that long. The desire to tear the gift open and hand it to Janine was already too much. 

“Are you just going to glare at it?” she asks.

“Yes,” Janine huffs. “No. Give it here.” 

Irene passes her the box with a smile, coaxing one out of Janine in return. She watches as once again, the package is inspected and gently shaken. This one is smaller and fits in the palm of Janine’s hand. With much more control this time, Janine peels away the paper until a navy box is all that’s left. She glances at Irene before opening it. Her jaw immediately drops.

Inside is an elegant gold necklace. Small silver designs make up the front of it, curving down to meet a gorgeous emerald gem in the center. Silver leaves surround the gem, giving the appearance of a flower. The longest chain of silver and gold – the stem – leads to a single, shining pearl. Janine looks to Irene in amazement.

“This is gorgeous,” she whispers.

“You like it then?”

“Do I bloody like it?” Janine laughs softly, hurrying to Irene’s side to wrap her arms around her. “I love it. And I’m furious with you.”

Irene melts into the embrace, smiling against the smooth skin of her girlfriend’s neck. “Why’s that?”

“The wine may not have cost much but this had to. We had a deal.” She pulls back, giving Irene a hard stare. It doesn't work because there is love in her eyes and Irene is blind to everything else.

“You’re worth it,” she tells Janine honestly. “It was no problem. And before you say anything else,” she holds a hand up the second Janine opens her mouth, “let’s just forget I did it and go take a nice bath. How’s that sound?”

Janine purses her lips in mock thought before nodding. “All right. But you’re coming up there with me now. Forget the tea.”

Irene obliges and they climb the stairs hand in hand. The necklace remains in its box, clutched in Janine’s grasp. Irene aches to see it on that gorgeous tan skin. She knows Janine could make any piece of jewelry look extravagant.

Inside the large bathroom, Irene reaches behind the curtain to turn on the hot water. They undress each other slowly with soft kisses and nuzzles. They whisper words of endearment and once the water is ready, Irene is blushing like a school girl. She steps aside to allow Janine to enter the tub first. The younger woman doesn’t notice it immediately as her back is to it. Once she’s seated comfortably, Irene joins her and leans in for a kiss.

“Pass me the soap, darling. Behind you.” 

Janine hums into the kiss before turning and swearing. On the corner of the tub sits gift number three, wrapped in champagne-colored paper with a small red bow on top. Irene bites her tongue to keep from laughing.

“Not even going to open that one,” Janine taunts.

“You’ll want to. Trust me.”

Janine rolls her eyes playfully and tears the paper away, careful not to drop anything in the water. She’s left with two medium-sized glass bottles.

“Bath oils,” she reads aloud. “Vanilla and jasmine.” She twists the cap off of one and takes a delicate sniff. “Oh that’s lovely, Irene. Smell that.”

Irene smiles and inhales the sweet scent. “That is lovely. Turn around.” 

Janine hands her the bottles and they rearrange so that she is settled between Irene’s legs. “Vanilla please,” she murmurs, pulling her knees up and resting the side of her face on them. 

Irene takes her time massaging the oil over the smooth expanse of Janine’s back. It smells heavenly and she knows there’s a big dumb grin on her face. Beautiful girlfriend, beautiful scent, beautiful day. She couldn’t be happier.

Every few minutes, Janine lets out a happy little moan of relaxation that lets Irene know she’s doing wonderfully. She works Janine’s shoulders and upper back before moving to her arms. Once she’s finished with her hands, Irene embraces Janine and presses her lips to the back of her neck.

“I love you,” she says. “I know this wasn’t what we agreed on but I couldn’t help myself. I love you.”

“Oh Irene,” Janine sighs happily. “I can’t even pretend to be upset with you. This is so wonderful, thank you. I love you, too.”

They stay there for some time, content to simply be. Once the water loses its heat, they carefully step out of the tub and dry each other off. Instructing Janine to hold her hair up, Irene grabs the necklace from the counter and places it around her neck. She stands back to admire it and bites her lip.

“It's beautiful. You’re beautiful.” 

And she is. Her tan skin is practically glowing with a hint of red beneath the surface from the heat of the bath. The gold and silver are a beautiful contrast and the emerald sits perfectly on her sternum. Janine checks herself out in the mirror and smiles.

“Shall we get dressed now? Or would you rather wait until we have to leave for dinner?” Irene asks.

“Might as well do it now. What do you think about the blue dress of mine? Or the black one?” Janine heads into the bedroom but pauses halfway. “There’s a gift in the closet isn’t there?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Janine laughs heartily, throwing open the closet doors and pointing directly to a thin, rectangular box underneath a row of shoes. 

“You’re ridiculous.” She bends down and picks up the gift, carrying it to their bed. “Is this going to happen all day? Have you bought all of London for me?”

Irene shrugs innocently and pulls Janine’s black dress from the closet. “This one, by the way. Your arse is a gift from the gods and this shows it.” 

Her girlfriend blushes and returns to the gift. By the time Irene has her robe on, Janine is down to the red cardboard box. She opens it the moment Irene sits next to it and they look at the contents together. 

There are two sets of matching lingerie, one in black and one in a dark purple. They’re both made of lace and designed to accentuate Janine’s curves. Irene knows they will fit her perfectly and she tilts her head, imagining how they’ll look with the necklace. 

Janine gives her a sly look and holds both of the bras up. “Which should I wear to dinner?”

“Naughty girl,” Irene murmurs with a wicked grin. “The black one.”

Janine easily slips into the lingerie and turns slowly for Irene to see. She was right and it does fit perfectly. The panties barely cover her girlfriend’s arse and Irene bites back the desire to take her then and there. Instead she stands and pulls Janine flush against her.

“Entirely too sexy for you. We must take them back.” 

Janine laughs softly, eyes focused on Irene’s lips. “No way. Not if wearing this means I can make you do whatever I want.” She grabs Irene’s bottom lip between her teeth and gives a playful nibble before releasing it. 

Irene’s fingers trace their way up Janine’s spine before tangling in her hair. She pulls her into a deep kiss that is all tongue and teeth. A rough promise of what’s to come. Janine’s pupils are blown when they break apart. 

“There’s another gift for you in here,” Irene whispers against her lips. 

“Is there?”

“Mhm. You might want to check under the bed.”

Janine does just that, bending over deliciously slowly to reach beneath the bedframe. Irene focuses on taking deep breaths to calm her desires. There’s plenty of time for fun later in the night. Glancing at the clock, she makes note that they need to hurry. The rest of the gifts should all be opened within the next twenty minutes. 

“Jesus, Irene!” Janine pops up and gapes at her. 

“What? Did you open it down there?” Irene complains.

Janine looks at her sheepishly before placing the open bag on the bed. Inside is a brand new strap-on and several options as far as size and color go. A sticky note is attached that simply reads, ‘For you to wear.’

“Is that a winky face?” Janine asks, pointing to the note. “You drew a winky face.” 

Irene tries to appear offended. “What’s wrong with the winky face?”

Janine squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. “It’s just not like you.” 

“Not like me to draw a winky face?”

“Quit saying that!” Janine laughs. “Call it a… sexy face. Anything other than winky face.”

“You called it that first,” Irene points out.

“Yeah all right.” She turns her attention back to the bag and clears her throat. “Y-you’re sure about this?” 

The dominatrix wants to memorize the look of scandalized innocence on Janine’s face. The blush that reaches her ears and the small upturn of her lips that says she’s trying not to crack a smile. Irene has known for a while that Janine has wanted to try the strap-on but was too shy to ask. Her girlfriend fell very easily into Irene’s dominant nature in bed but Irene wants her to know that isn’t the way it always has to be. She’s more than willing to let Janine take control.

“I’m sure,” she smiles gently. “And if you want something else, just let me know and we can go look at other things together. No pressure.” She squeezes Janine’s hand and brushes her thumb across the back of it. 

“Thank you. Really.” Janine’s cheeks remain flushed as she sets the bag in their nightstand. 

“Absolutely, darling. Now I do hate to rush you but I’ve failed in making you aware of our time constraints.”

“What? We have a time constraint on Christmas morning?” 

“Unfortunately,” Irene grimaces. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs. There are two more gifts for you to open.” She kisses her quickly and leaves the room to allow her to get ready.

Half an hour later, Janine has received very expensive and rich chocolates and a brand new laptop. She insisted it wasn’t necessary but Irene valiantly ignored her as she rushed her out of the house and into a cab.

“My other one works fine,” Janine continues, looking unsure of herself. 

Irene takes a moment to really look at her and realizes that maybe Janine isn’t used to getting this much attention. Irene had noticed almost immediately that her laptop was on the verge of breaking. The fan was all but destroyed and the enter key had broken so many times that Irene lost count. If Janine normally surrounded herself with people who wouldn’t think to help her replace her dying computer, these sort of things may make her uncomfortable.

“Listen to me,” Irene says as she takes her hand. “None of this was out of my means. I didn’t buy them to make you feel guilty. I bought them because you have brought so much light and happiness into my life and I want to shower you with everything so you feel like the princess you are.”

Janine gives her a shaky smile and squeezes her hand. “Thank you, Irene. For everything.” 

“My pleasure,” Irene smiles. 

Janine wipes her eyes and rests her head on Irene’s shoulder. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” 

Irene mulls it over in her head before deciding she can at least let her in on some of it. “We’re meeting a friend.”

“A friend?” Janine looks up at her. “Who?”

“Someone you'll like, don't worry.” 

The rest of the cab ride passes along in a comfortable silence. Irene is sure she will burst with the amount of love she holds for the woman beside her. Everything has gone so perfectly and she hopes that her last surprise comes through without flaw. 

They pull up outside a large building and Janine scans it for a name. Irene smirks, knowing she won’t find it as they’re going in the back entrance.

“Are you sure we can be back here?” Janine asks, stepping over a broken bottle. 

“Relax,” Irene rolls her eyes playfully at her. “In here.” 

She holds a door open and they enter a long, dark hallway. It smells strongly of paint and burnt hair but Irene shrugs it off. It takes her a minute or two to remember the way but she figures it out before Janine gets too antsy. Holding open a larger door, she ushers her girlfriend into yet another room. This one is more like an auditorium with high ceilings and concrete floors. Large floodlights are placed in the center by a stage. Janine looks to her, confused. 

“This way,” Irene grabs her hand and pulls her to the side of the room where she knocks on an office door.

“Come in!” A gruff voice yells.

“Irene what are we doing?” Janine whispers.

“Just trust me.” She steps confidently into the office and smiles. “Merry Christmas, David. This is my girlfriend, Janine Hawkins.”

Janine jumps into her media-ready persona with a bright grin and a warm handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, David.” 

“Likewise.” He shakes her hand and sits on the edge of his desk. “So you’re Janine. Irene never shuts up about ya.”

Janine blushes and gives Irene a fond shake of her head. “I wish I could say the same of you.”

David laughs louder than necessary but Janine keeps her demeanor polite as always. Irene sidles close to her and wraps an arm around her waist.

“I believe you have something for me, David.” 

His blue eyes light up with humor. “Absolutely. Just in my drawer here.” He rounds his desk and sifts through papers until he finds it. Passing them over, he waggles his eyebrows. “Merry Christmas, Janine.”

Irene hands her the stapled pages and waits. Janine’s brow furrows as she looks them over. She flips to page two and then three, confusion still evident on her face. Reaching the final page, she looks at Irene and licks her lips.

“I don’t understand.”

“Do you remember our second date?” Irene asks. 

“Of course,” Janine replies with a nod. 

“You told me that ever since you were a little girl, you wanted to be an actress. You wanted to go to the drama schools but your parents discouraged you and steered you in a different direction. By the time you were eighteen you were already into administration and never thought to look back.”

Janine swallows thickly. “Right.”

“Well David here is a friend of mine,” Irene continues. “After a long talk, he told me of a few different opportunities for you to take a chance.”

“Opportunities?” Janine repeats.

“Roles, darling. These are scripts.” She pauses while Janine glances down at the papers in her hand. “I got you some auditions.”

It takes so long for Janine to react that something akin to horror settles in Irene’s bones. When her girlfriend finally manages to look up at her with tears in her eyes, relief floods her system.

“Auditions. You got me auditions.” 

“I did,” Irene smiles. 

“Because you remembered.” Janine frowns but Irene knows it’s only because her emotions are overwhelming her. 

“I did,” Irene repeats softly. 

Just as Janine’s lip begins to tremble, she throws herself at Irene and hugs her tightly. The gratitude and happiness practically radiates off her and Irene closes her eyes to succumb to the sensations. She still smells of vanilla and the memory of their morning brings a smile to Irene’s face. Every long day of planning has been worth it to see the amount of joy on her girlfriend’s face. She had already purchased four of the eight gifts when Janine had made her promise that she wouldn’t buy her anything expensive. It was really too late. 

Janine pulls back but keeps her arms around Irene’s neck. “I love you,” she states. “So bloody much”. 

“I know. I love you, too.” Irene kisses her like it’s the last time she’ll ever get to. Every amount of adoration she has for the woman goes into the kiss as she tries to convey everything she feels. How she wants to wake up to her every morning and fall asleep wrapped up in her limbs every night. How she would do absolutely anything just to see her smile. 

Breathing heavily, they pull apart and rest their foreheads together. 

“I actually did get you something as well,” Janine whispers. 

“Is that so?” Irene jokes, rubbing her hands up and down Janine’s back.

Janine nods with a sniffle and reaches into the pocket of her coat. Glancing up at Irene, she licks her lips. “I was going to do this at dinner but you’ve just about pulled it out of me.” 

“Janine,” Irene breathes, heart pounding against her ribcage. 

The younger woman nods with a smile and drops gracefully to one knee. Holding a small black box out, she opens it to reveal a beautiful ring. “Irene Adler,” she says. “On this day and every day since we met, I have known that you were the one for me. I cannot imagine a life without you and you have proven today that you know me more than anyone. So,” she pauses to take a deep breath. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

If it hadn’t been for the shocked face of David on the edge of her vision, Irene would have been sure this was a dream. She feels unable to move with an unknown feeling rushing through her veins. A sense of utter completeness. That all is right in the world and will be from this moment on. She gives Janine her own watery smile.

"So much for not spending a lot of money on gifts."

"Is.. is that a yes?" Janine raises an eyebrow.

Irene grins. “Yes. Absolutely, yes!” 

Janine beams at her and they find themselves wrapped in a tight embrace once again. Janine spins her around with a laugh before peppering kisses all over her face. Irene can only join her in the laughter, unable to contain her joy. After a moment of excitement, they calm down and simply stare at each other with content smiles.

“Merry Christmas, Irene.”

Irene tucks a stray lock of hair behind Janine’s ear. “Merry Christmas, Janine. The best one I’ve ever had.”

Janine nods and kisses her softly. “Many more to come?”

Irene laughs again so she won’t cry. “Many more to come,” she agrees. “Many more to come.”


End file.
